Gaia's Golden Warrior
by PhoenixFlame17
Summary: Given the task of saving the world in the space of three years time, or else Gaia will take matters into her own hands, Cloud Strife joins SOLDIER, wanting to fufill her dream. Along the way, she must save General Sephiroth. Sephiroth/FemCloud.


**Summary : Having fallen into a mako pool when she was younger, Cloud Strife has a strange bond with the Life Stream, much like the Cetra did all those years ago. This also allows her a connection to Gaia, who give's her three years to stop Jenova, or else the planet will fight back with the Life Stream, destroying everything in it's wake.**

**Right, I probably shouldn't make another story when I can hardly keep up with updating, but this story has been whirling around my head for a while, and I had to get it down, you know?**

_Gaia speaking._

_**Cloud speaking to Gaia.**_

_**Sephiroth and Cloud speaking telepathically.**_

_Flashbacks._

**Disclaimer : I Do Not Own Final Fantasy VII. **

****

" Are you completely sure you want to do this, my dear one? " Astra Strife looked at her young daughter, only fifteen years old, with wide and pleading blue eyes, the expression on her face one of a deep desparation to understand. She was different from her daughter with long and wavy dark brown hair and tanned skin, while her daughter had shoulder length golden-blonde hair and pale skin, but they did share their bright sky blue eyes, and a vicious temper when angered.

Cloud Strife tried not to look at her mother, because she knew what look was on her mother's gentle face, one that her mother had flashed at her every day since three weeks ago when she had made her decision to join SOLDIER. The usage of the nick-name made it even worse. " Yes, mum, I am sure, I've wanted to do this for a long time, " she said quietly, and it wasn't untrue; she had wanted to be a SOLDIER since she had first seen the poster of General Sephiroth, and once she had read what it took to become a SOLDIER.

Gentle hands, still so youthful, cupped the young girl's small and beautiful face, forcing her to look up and into matching eyes. " I know sweetheart, " said Astra softly, " It's just...I'm a mother, I worry, and I want to know why you're suddenly going now, why is it so important? "

Cloud bit her lip, " it's nothing, mum, I just want to do something with my life, not stay here in Nibleheim, " she said, partially honest, " and you know I don't really feel like I belong here. " As if to prove her point, she looked around and saw that many of the Nibleheim villagers had come to make sure that the ' troublesome child ' was leaving.

Astra shoot them all a dirty look, " what they think does not matter, Cloud, you know that, " she said, turning back to look at her daughter. How the young girl looked and acted so much like her father.

Cloud smiled. " I know, " she said reassuringly, " but there is an upside, it will be easier on you. " The villagers were only horrible to her mother because of Cloud being her daughter.

Astra frowned, " no it will not, " she said, " how can it possibly be easier for me by my only child leaving to go and train to become a SOLDIER? " It would have her constantly worrying; what if Cloud was seriously injured while training? Or killed while out on a mission?

Already knowing her mother's train of thoughts, Cloud smiled at her. " I'll write to you all the time, mum, and I'll try and be careful, I promise, " she said.

Astra sighed and dropped her hands to her sides, " write to me every week, " she said, " actually, more than that; I want at least three letters a week. "

" Mum! " Cloud said, " I won't have the time. " Honestly, mothers!

Astra smiled sincerely. " Just write to me when you can, sweetie, " she said, tugging on her daughter's short ponytail playfully. " So independant. "

" I will write to you every week, mum, " promised Cloud, and in an unusual display of emotion for the young teen, she hugged her mother tightly. " I will miss you. " She had never been away from her mother in all of her fifteen, nearly sixteen, years.

" We're leaving! " spoke a rough voice from a few feet away, sounding slightly impatient.

Both mother and daughter looked up, spotting a SOLDIER in his early thirties standing by a bus that had no-one on it, yet. Nibleheim was quite out of the way, and was obviously the first place on a map, or many had chosen not to join.

" Right, " Cloud said, bending down to pick up her two bags before she straightened up, " I'll be seeing you, then? " It was a stupid thing to say, especially to her own mother, but she couldn't think of anything else to say.

Astra smiled tenderly. " Of course, " she said, " even if I have to march down to Shinra myself, my dear one. " She hugged her daughter tightly, " be safe. "

Cloud nodded and pulled away from her mother, " I'll write to you as soon as I sign up! " she said, and walked over to the bus. As she was about to climb on, she felt eyes burning into her skull, and she looked back; Tifa Lockhart was standing in the crowd, her big brown eyes slightly watery and sad. She nodded her head, receiving a nod in return, before she climbed onto the bus, the impatient SOLDIER following.

Choosing a seat nearer the back, one on the side where she could look out the window and wave to her mother, Cloud sat on the seat closest to the window, setting one of her bags down at her feet, while the other was on the seat next to her. Leaning back into the seat, she glanced out of the window and saw her mother staring at her, " love you, " she mouthed.

" Love you too, my dear one, " Astra mouthed back, placing a hand over her heart.

Cloud smiled softly and mirrored her mother's action.

The bus' engine rumbled to life.

Astra's eyes filled with tears, but she smiled proudly and waved.

Cloud waved as the bus slowly pulled away from the entrance of Nibleheim. She settled back into the seat once her mother was out of sight and closed her eyes; she had done it.

Yes, she had wanted to be a SOLDIER since she was little, since the age of nine when the first poster of a fifteen year old Sephiroth had come out, since he had first become famous at that age, a poster boy for Shinra. Although, she hadn't been confident enough to sign up, until two weeks ago, when all SOLDIER had been to her was an unreachable dream.

Two weeks ago, when she had been sleeping, she had found herself in the most beautiful place: a vast field of lush green grass, a clear blue sky with a bright sun, with large oak trees, blossoming flowers, and a most unusual green stream. She had heard a strong and powerful voice, sounding so soft and gentle, telling her things, giving her a job to do.

_" I have called you here because you are connected to the Life Stream due to the accident you had when you were four years old. "_

At the age of four, she had fallen into a mako pool up in the mountains; she had been critically ill for nearly a month, but she had recovered. It had given her a strong connection to the Life Stream.

_" I am giving you a task to do, one of great importance. " _

She had accepted, although reluctantly, when she had heard that it was Gaia, the very planet, speaking to her.

_" In three years, The Calamity will take a hold of a powerful warrior and attempt to destroy me. "_

It had been a terrifiying thought, of something trying to destroy the planet.

_" I am sure you are aware of the SOLDIER programme. " _

Aware of it? She had been near enough obsessed with it since she was nine years old.

_" You must join, and become strong to stop this threat..." _

Cloud had been so doubtful when Gaia had told her to join SOLDIER and become strong so that she could stop a threat that would destroy the planet. She wasn't strong, nor powerful, but she had been chosen.

_" Become my chosen warrior, my Golden Warrior. " _

She had voiced her doubts to the planet, saying that she must have picked wrong, because she was just a nobody from a small town hidden in the mountains, hated by everyone. How could someone like her save the world?

_" You are not a nobody, Cloud Strife. One day, you will save the world. " _

So nearly two weeks later, when Shin-Ra had come around looking for recruits, she had signed up immediately, giving no reason but for the believable excuse that she had told her mother.

_" Three years, Cloud Strife, or I will fight back, and leave destruction in my wake to stop this threat. "_

It had scared Cloud that Gaia felt so threatened that she would be willing to destroy the very beings that she had created, which was why she was doing this; she was going to save the world.

" _That is the spirit, my Golden Warrior__. _" Gaia's melodic and soothing, but powerful, voice floated through her head like a soft song.

Cloud gave a little jump, and looked up to make sure that the grumpy SOLDIER had not been paying attention to her, and thankfully, he hadn't. " Gaia? " she whispered, looking around, as if expecting to see something.

A beautiful, tinkling laugh echoed through her head. " _I can hear your thoughts clearly, my Golden Warrior, you need not speak aloud. _ "

Relaxing again, Cloud closed her eyes, giving the impression that she was taking a nap. " _**Sorry, you startled me for a second, **_" she admitted in her head, and she received another laugh.

" _Do not worry about what will happen in the future, my Golden Warrior, _" Gaia said, having picked up on her chosen warrior's worried thoughts, " _worry about here and now. I have given you three years, and know this, my child, you will not be alone in this task that I have set for you. _"

Cloud perked up at that. " _**You've got another warrior, besides me? **_" Maybe the responsibility of saving the world wouldn't rest entirely on her shoulders.

" _Oh no, my Golden Warrior, _" Gaia said, crushing her warrior's hopes, " _but there are those that would be willing to help you, if you do not reveal too much. _"

That made Cloud have some hope again, but it also confused her. " _**How can someone help me if they don't know what I'm doing? **_"

" _You will know what to say when the time comes, my Golden Warrior. Now, I bid you a farewell, we shall speak soon. _" Gaia gently with-drew from her chosen warrior's mind.

Cloud felt that her mind was her own once again, and she opened her eyes, glancing out of the window. The mountains were now behind her, and to confirm it, she looked back and could see the highest peek of her home mountains disappearing as the bus drew further away from Nibleheim.

Leaving Nibleheim was like stepping into another world.

When she was younger, she had known of the outside world, but in her little child mind, it was only a legend, a myth, and the high, cold and snowy mountains were the only thing on this planet. It was stupid, now that she thought back to it, but it was a rightful stupid.

She had never left Nibleheim before, with the only adventure she'd had was wondering up higher into the mountains, and that had been more of a sneaky adventure, since her mother was reluctant to allow her up into the mountains since she had fallen into a mako pool up there. Still, that had not stopped her free spirit, and she had snuck up there whenever she could, but she did mind where she had fallen into the mako pool, not eager to have another accident.

Giving a soft groan, Cloud rested her forehead against the cool glass. She had been thinking way too much since she had first spoken to Gaia, it was almost as if her brain refused to be quiet, and her mind refused to shut down whenever she went to sleep. She fell asleep thinking of the future, and she woke up, thinking of the future.

It was an hour later when the bus came to a stop, and she heard the excited voices of hopeful recruits, and she opened her eyes; she had closed them for a small nap on the way.

The first to climb onto the bus was a teenaged boy, dark hair falling around his head like a glossy mop, and his soft green eyes were a bit sad. He sat down near the front, resting a bag at his feet.

Three more people climbed on; one a tall boy with light blonde hair and dark eyes; one was a boy slightly shorter than the other, holding a slight resembalance to the other - a brother or cousin maybe -; and the last was a girl, slightly older than Cloud herself, with caramel hair thrown back into a messy bun, two strands falling to frame a pretty face, and dark blue eyes swept the blue searchingly.

Cloud quickly looked away when the blue eyes landed on her; she was incredibly shy, due to her rather secluded child-hood in which she had little to no contact with others, except for her mother, and a kind old couple that ran a Materia Shop in the small mountain town. Taking a peek, she saw that the other girl had sat down on some seats only half way to the back of the bus.

Shaking her head at her own annoying shyness, she unzipped the bag that lay on the seat next to her and pulled on a large pad of paper with a simple dark brown cover. She put the bag down on top of the other one, and shifted so that her back was now leaning against the window, and her feet were on the other seat.

Resting the pad on bent knees, she flipped it open, idily paying attention to the drawings that she had done in the past, and she put pencil to paper.

It must have been another four hours of stops, picking up at least two or three people from each stop, till the bus was now near enough full, with only a few seats being left empty.

The grumpy SOLDIER from the front stood up.

Cloud stopped drawing, a beautiful drawing Nibleheim mountains nearly finished, and she looked at the SOLDIER, who now had all of the attention of the bus on him.

" We are nearly at Shin-Ra, " he began gruffly, only allowing a second of excited twittering. " Be quiet. "

Cloud closed her drawing pad, and slipped it back into her bag, reminding her self to finish off the drawing later.

" These are the rules you will follow when we arrive, " the SOLDIER said, " one, you will exit the bus in an orderly fashion, do you understand? No rushing or shoving, you will be in SOLDIER, not in nursery, we do not accept that sort of behaviour. "

" Second, once you are off the bus, you will join the line of recruits to sign up, and again, no pushing or shoving, or else you will be treated like the child that you are and sent to the back of the line. "

" Third and last, once you have signed up, you will follow the designated officer into Shin-Ra, where you will listen respectfully to your superiors, do you understand? "

What an unpleasant man, thought Cloud, as the bus came to a stop, and she grabbed the handles of her bags and stood up. She stood back for a moment as some people that had been behind her on the bus shuffle down the middle, and then she followed them.

Nervousness churned in her stomach, giving her the horrible feeling of being ill, and she hoped, more like prayed, to Gaia that she did not be sick. She did not care for what others thought of her, but she really didn't want everyone's first memory of her to be her throwing up.

Stepping off the bus, the first thing she saw was an impressively tall building, glinting in the sun, and taking a sweeping look around, she saw more buildings, looking extremely cramped compared to the spacious town of Nibleheim.

Teenagers, recruits, milled around, some already talking to others.

" LINE UP, RECRUITS! " hollered a voice over the excited and nervous talking of the new recruits, and all eyes swung that way.

Seeing the forming line, Cloud hurried to get a spot in line, not wanting to be last, or anywhere near the back. Thankfully, she was only five places behind the front of the line, and it was very soon that she found herself at the front.

" Sign here, " said a person from behind the table, his voice pleasant.

Cloud picked up the pen, leaned over the table, and signed the paper.

" Say, how old are you? "

Looking up, Cloud saw that the man, maybe in his late twenties, looked generally curious. " 15, " she muttered, knowing full well that her height strongly contridicted that.

" Huh, you don't look it, " the man said, only to receive an elbow to the side by his female partner, who then shot him a warning look. He grinned, " on your way. "

Cloud blinked before walking away. What a weird man. Looking up at the Shin-Ra building, the nervousness came back to her like a returning tide, and she felt her stomach twist.

This was her future.

**Soo, what do you think?**

**Review please.**

**Phoenix x.**


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